Seaham shop shut for three months over illegal cigarette stash

An off-licence has been ordered to close for three months after thousands of illegal cigarettes were discovered. Durham County Council's trading standards officers received tip-offs from members of the public that The Avenue store, in Deneside, Seaham, was selling illegal tobacco products in July. After carrying out a series of test purchases, the team inspected the premises with support from Durham Police. Officers found a large haul of cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco stashed in an outbuilding at the back of the shop, including 215 packets containing 4,360 illicit cigarettes. Trading standards officers applied for a closure order for the shop under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. The order was granted by magistrates at an uncontested hearing in Newton Aycliffe. Owen Cleugh, the council's safer places manager, said: "Illegal tobacco is far from a victimless crime. "It can put young people at risk by increasing access to tobacco products." He also said he hoped the closure would act as a "deterrent to others" involved in criminal activity. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.